General Re Reviews

Pros

There is an open environment where everyone, regardless of title, has the same workspace. This puts everyone on a level playing field and encourages collaboration.

Cons

There could be more input into the decision making process for junior staff on issues that effect everyone; often people find out more through the grapevine than through senior management.

Advice to Senior Management

Diversify into other product areas that will enable the firm to ride out the storm when catastrophic events occur simultaneously.

Pros

Work/Life ballance - for the most part 9 to 5

Cons

Older demographic
outdated systems
slow paced office

Advice to Senior Management

bring in younger employees to livin up the office environment

Pros

Reputation
Financial stability
Large organization supports multiple career choices within the same umbrella organization (you don't have to leave the Gen Re Group to try something new)

Cons

Large organization isn't always in touch with what makes sense
Reputation causes some to be arrogant or dismissive of client issues

Advice to Senior Management

Get expenses under control--it's great having the financial stability of Berkshire behind you, but if you're just going to whither on the vine slowly, you're not serving the Berkshire shareholders. Make a plan to create a viable entity INCLUDING expenses in the next year or two, or start putting some stuff into run-off.

Pros

The base pay is commensurate with the market and the benefits package is reasonable, but the technology use is at least ten years behind the times and there is a big technology deficit in leadership and in the trenches as well. At the time of hire the initial base compensation was good, but there was not cost of living adjustment, the only adjustment was in bonus which really depended on your relationship with your supervisor. If you can become pals with you supervisor you can pretty much do anything you want. The retirement match was very good during my tenure.

Cons

They model used for bonuses and promotion seems to be the buddy system. Unless you are friends with your supervisor, you won't be promoted or bonused fairly. They is a great disparity for non-management level at both compensation levels and bonuses. Abilities and skillsets were not taken into account at all. The technical level of leadership will cause the use of technology to stagnate and you will find your career a decade behind the times, which is ok if you adopt the mindset of the retiring y2K cobal developers and just have a desire to do assembly line style development until it's time for you to retire.

Advice to Senior Management

360 reviews, and proper follow up.